Officials: Boston Bombings Suspect Unarmed When Arrested in Boat

WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. officials say the Boston Marathon explosions that killed three people and wounded more than 260 were triggered by a remote-controlled detonator.

Two officials on Wednesday said the bombs were not very sophisticated. One of the officials described the detonator as "close-controlled" -- meaning it had to be triggered within several blocks of the bombs.

Both U.S. officials are close to the ongoing investigation but spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.

It was not immediately clear what the detonation device was.

A criminal complaint outlining federal charges against the surviving bombing suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (joh-KHAHR' tsahr-NEYE'-ehv), described him as holding a cellphone in his hand minutes before the first explosion.

Cellphones have been used to trigger bombings in war zones.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Two U.S. officials say the surviving suspect in the Boston bombings was unarmed when police captured him hiding inside a boat in a neighborhood back yard.

Authorities originally said they had exchanged gunfire with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev for more than one hour Friday evening before they were able to subdue him.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation, say investigators recovered a 9 mm handgun believed to have been used by Tsarnaev's brother, Tamerlan, from the site of a gun battle Thursday night, which injured a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officer. Dzhokhar was believed to have been shot before he escaped.

The officials tell The Associated Press that no gun was found in the boat. Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said earlier that shots were fired from inside the boat.

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